Residents reminded to be safe, avoid illegal fireworks

You don’t have to be next to a firework to be injured. Ahead of the July 4 holiday, officials are stressing safety especially with sparklers so residents aren’t subject to injuries resulting directly or indirectly from fireworks.

Ahead of the July 4 holiday, officials are stressing safety especially with sparklers so residents aren’t subject to injuries resulting directly or indirectly from fireworks.

“Many people falsely believe that because sparklers and similar fireworks are legal and readily available that they are safe,” said Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Wayne Goodwin, in a news release. “Too often, it’s small consumer fireworks that start fires or cause serious burn injuries. I encourage North Carolinians to leave all fireworks to the professionals.”

In 2012, about 8,700 people nationwide ended up in hospital emergency rooms with injuries involving legal and illegal fireworks, with 60 percent of those injuries occurring in the month surrounding the July 4th holiday, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

“It is really tragic that a day of celebration can be changed in an instant by the use of consumer fireworks,” said Dr. Bruce Cairns, M.D., a trauma surgeon at the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center at UNC Healthcare in Chapel Hill. “One of the major goals of the Jaycee Burn Center is to prevent burns from ever occurring in the first place. We support the fire service in encouraging families to enjoy a fireworks display provided by trained and licensed professionals.”

Last year in North Carolina, fire departments responded to more than 100 fireworks-related calls with an estimated $300,000 worth of property damage.

The American Red Cross released the following tips:

* Never give fireworks to small children, and always follow the instructions on the packaging.

* Light only one firework at a time and never attempt to relight “a dud.”

* Store fireworks in a cool, dry place away from children and pets.

* Never throw or point a firework toward people, animals, vehicles, structures or flammable materials.

* Leave any area immediately where untrained amateurs are using fireworks.

* Stay at least 500 feet away from the show.

For safety ideas, the Office of the State Fire Marshal directs residents to the National Fire Protection Association, which bills itself as “the authority on fire, electrical and building safety.”

Sparklers, which are legal in North Carolina, accounted for 24 percent of all fireworks-related injuries.

“They have very hot sparklers that can get up to 2,000 degrees and they can hurt somebody real quick,” said Woody Spencer, spokesman for the Kinston Department of Public Safety.

According to state law, the only legal consumer fireworks in North Carolina consist of snake or glow works, smoke-making devices, trick noise makers, wire sparklers and other sparklers that do not fly, spin or explode.

Page 2 of 2 - The vast bevy of what’s available just over the border in South Carolina — bottle rockets, firecrackers, ground spinners, mortars, Roman candles and anything that flies or explodes — is officially off-limits.

“The best thing to do is just not use illegal fireworks. It’s illegal,” Spencer said. “The worst part is somebody’s going to get hurt if they start playing around with something like that.”

Violation of the state pyrotechnic law is a Class 2 misdemeanor and can result in a fine of up to $500 and 30 days to six months in jail.

Spencer suggested letting the professionals handle the job, and there are several fireworks displays happening on July 4.

Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 and Wes.Wolfe@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @WolfeReports.